More than a dozen national minority families of Paharia community, who have been living on a piece of land in Rajshahi city鈥檚 Mollapara area for over five decades, now fear eviction from the land, allegedly under pressure from a man claiming ownership of the land.
A man namely Sajjad Ali has been claiming ownership of the land and asked the national minority families to vacate the land by September 7, the residents there said.
They said that Sajjad would arrange a feast for them today to bid them 鈥榝arewell鈥�.
Kashiadanga police station officer-in-charge Azizul Bari said that they came to know about the matter and stopped the feast.
He said that they would not allow Sajjad to evict the families until they checked the authenticity of Sajjad鈥檚 documents claiming the ownership of the land.
The national minority people said that, in early 1972, immediately after the country鈥檚 1971 liberation war, a man named Indra Dhupi allowed six national minority families to build houses and live on his 38 decimals of land in the Mollapara area, now under ward number 2 of Rajshahi City Corporation. Indra Dhupi had no children and died in the mid-1990s.
The locals know the area as Adibasipara, and the number of families has now become 16 over three generations in the past 53 years.
The residents there alleged that Sajjad recently came to them and claimed that Dhupi had sold the land to him before his death.
Under mounting pressure, three families have already left, while 13 others are preparing to follow, he said.
鈥楢fter the liberation war, many families of our community who had taken shelter in India returned and Indra Dhupi allowed us to live here. Now, after decades, we are being forced out,鈥� said Mishra Ram Barman, a 40-year-old resident.
Mishra recalled that Sajjad first tried to evict them two years ago. 鈥楢t that time, councillor Nazrul Islam examined his papers and said that the deed was fake. Sajjad then fled from the arbitration meeting,鈥� he said.
He said that Sajjad returned again only after three days after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024 and ordered them to vacate the land.
He said that though the administration had been informed about the matter, they were in fear of eviction. 鈥楬ow long will we fight with the powerful people?鈥� he said.
The residents there said that Sajjad offered Tk 6 lakh to each of the six original families as 鈥榬ehabilitation money鈥�, an amount far short of what they demanded.
Only one of the six original settlers, 80-year-old Fulmoni Biswas, is still alive.
Sitting in front of her home on Wednesday afternoon, she said in despair, 鈥榃here will we go? We are like people searching in darkness 鈥� we find nothing.鈥�
Three families 鈥� those of Rubel Biswas, Shanta Biswas, and Rinku Biswas 鈥� have already dismantled their houses and taken shelter in the houses of their relatives.
Parbati Rani, who is pregnant, said that she was expecting a child soon. 鈥榃here will I move now?鈥� she asked.
Young resident Shipen Biswas, who just sat for his HSC examinations, said that his grandfather was among the first six to settle there. 鈥極ur families fear to be evicted from the land anytime soon,鈥� he said.
Sajjad Ali claimed that he and three others bought the land in 1997.
He claimed that his deed was not fake.
Asked why he renewed eviction efforts only after the fall of the Awami League regime, Sajjad said that he did not belong to any party.
Former councillor Nazrul Islam, who once called Sajjad鈥檚 documents 鈥榝ake,鈥� could not be reached for comment as his phone was found switched off.
Rajshahi City Corporation鈥檚 chief executive officer Rejaul Karim said that they would look into the matter.
